TV Production

Program Overview

Students in video production are involved in project-based learning, allowing them to express their thoughts, feelings and knowledge while utilizing their critical thinking skills. They are encouraged to ask questions about what they watch, see and read, and hopefully become more media literate – learning how to navigate the powerful images and sounds that bombard them daily.

About the Teacher

Before coming to Whitman to head the Media Literacy/TV Production program, Christopher King taught language arts for six years at a middle school in Los Angeles. Prior to teaching, Mr. King worked for many years in the television and film business in a number of capacities - from news cameraman/editor covering Capitol Hill and the White House, to production assistant on the Emmy-winning mini-series "The Winds of War" for Paramount Pictures, to Writer's Guild of America Fellowship Winner for screenplay writing. He was a screenplay category winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s 2010, 2011 and 2012 Literary Contests. Most recently he was awarded 2nd place in the 2013 Vail Film Festival’s Short Screenplay Competition.

JURY PICKS WHITMAN FILMMAKERS FOR REGIONAL AWARD
The short film TIME CATCHES UP, produced by Whitman filmmakers Max Beaulieu and Sam Boldvan, is one of only 12 works selected to appear in the Fresh Film Northwest Winners Program, held at Portland Art Museum’s Whitsell Auditorium on Saturday, November 14, 2015, at 12pm. Part of the 2015 Northwest Filmmakers Festival, Fresh Film is one of the oldest and largest youth film festivals in the nation, with entries coming from 13 to 19 year-old filmmakers in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

WHITMAN FILMMAKERS WALK AWAY WITH AWARDS
Whitman TV Production students won multiple awards at the 2015 Middle School Media Festival held at The Bush School on May 14th.

Max Beaulieu won an Audience Award and Teacher’s Award for Time Catches Up and an Audience Award for Reoccurring Dreams. Nina Wolf & Saruah Ruzumna won an Audience Award and Teacher’s Award for Cliques PSA.Elliott Russell won as Audience Award and Teacher’s Award for The Dream.And Anna Schuetze & Taylor Knowles won an Audience Award for“Drinking PSA”.

ELLA ANDERSON & TULIA CASCIOPPO'S SHORT FILM, A LIFE UNLIVED, SHOWCASED AT LOCAL ART SHOW
Across the River Arts in partnership with Interagency Academy, the Fremont Abbey Arts Center, and Seattle Art Museum presented emerging teen artists exploring the theme of Breaking Free. The one night showcase was curated by members of the Expressive Arts Class at the University District Youth Center. Breaking Free featured a wide variety of original works by innovative local teen performers ready to extend their reach. Spoken word artists, musicians, and every style in between made up this special show, giving the community an opportunity to meet these talented individuals and experience their captivating work.

WHITMAN TV PRO ALUMNI STUDYING AT PRESTIGIOUS FILM SCHOOLS
Jaya Flanary and DJ McCoy (class of 2012) will be continuing their film studies at Columbia College of Chicago and Relativity School in Los Angeles respectively

These former Whitman Students (class of 2011) will be heading off to the following film schools this fall: Coleman Anderson to NYU; Rachel Cole to Columbia; Simon Gibson-Penrose to Emerson; and Matt Nguyen to UC Boulder.

Whitman alumni Michael Vitz-Wong, August Detering, and Ryan Smith (Class of 2010), are now studying filmmaking at Emerson College in Boston, New York University, and USC respectively. Keep an eye out for these talented filmmakers.

Videos by Whitman filmmakers, past and present, will be broadcast on SPS-TV Cable Channel 26. The videos will run between shows and will also be featured on the Student Video Showcase (Fridays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays and Sundays at 5:30 PM).